While this past month’s UFC on FX 7 event will be remembered for Vitor Belfort’s second-round finish of Michael Bisping, the infamous Pedro Nobre-Yuri Alcantara fight certainly will be a long-discussed footnote, as well. Leandro Higo (12-2) wishes that weren’t the case.

“I had sent (UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby an email talking about Leandro,” Higo’s manager, Matheus Aquino, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “The next day, Shelby asked for someone to replace George Roop. Later that night, Shelby let us know that the slot had been filled.

“I think the factor that weighed in Nobre’s favor was a fight history including higher-profile events such as Shooto Brazil and Bitetti Combat and holding a Bitetti belt.”

Of course, those credentials didn’t serve Nobre well in the octagon; Alcantara swarmed him in the opening round and looked well on his way to a TKO finish until a few errant strikes led to a no-contest ruling. UFC President Dana White wasn’t a fan of Nobre’s performance in the matchup, and the Brazilian was cut following his unfortunate debut.

Now Higo hopes to claim that spot on the roster.

“The biggest goal is, of course, the UFC,” Higo said in his native Portuguese. “I keep training for it. I have quality wins, and I work with a top-notch team. God willing, I’ll be in there soon so I can show my work and represent the Northeast of Brazil.”

Higo was born and raised in Mossoro, Brazil, where he still lives to this day. During the week, he commutes some six hours to Natal, where he trains with Bellator MMA’s famed “Pitbull” brothers, Patricio and Patricky Freire, before returning home for the weekends. It’s a natural fit for Higo, who also was given the nickname “Pitbull” long before he ever met his more famous counterparts.

“When I was a kid, I was already practicing jiu-jitsu,” Higo said. “I was very aggressive because I enjoy submissions. I never tried winning by points. So people started calling me ‘Pitbull’, which also fits well because of my stocky build.”

The 24-year-old also moonlights with the highly respected Team Nogueira when he’s able to break way for some time in Rio de Janeiro. He’s spent 12 years training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is a respected black belt in the sport, though he’s never been able to afford to compete in official international competitions.

Still, his seven submission wins in 14 total MMA bouts stand as testament to his grappling prowess.

“Jiu-jitsu is indeed my forte,” Higo said. “I actually always try to fight standing, but invariably my opponents end up taking me down. Then one thing leads to another, and that’s why I have mostly submissions.”

Higo has competed mostly as a bantamweight on Brazil’s regional scene. He did venture to featherweight once in 2010, but it was simply because he needed the paycheck, and things didn’t work out in his favor.

“I wasn’t training at the time because I didn’t have the access to the proper resources,” Higo said. “There was a last-minute injury, so I was called in as a replacement. I took the fight because I needed the money. I wasn’t well-prepared.

“I actually did well on the first round, but I was overwhelmed on the second. This loss furthered my drive to train to be a better fighter. After that, I defeated Wagner ‘Galeto’ Campos, who ended up fighting in the UFC.”

Higo’s lone loss at 135 pounds came nearly one year ago in a Jungle Fight fight with top-ranked Brazilian bantamweight Iliarde Santos. Higo actually believes he should have been declared the winner at the conclusion of the 15-minute affair, but Santos’ work late in the fight led to a decision victory.

“I honestly felt I won because I landed more strikes, but he did take me down twice on the last round, so maybe that’s what the judges remember,” Higo said.

Higo has since bounced back with three wins. He hoped for an April rematch with Santos, but his opponent has since withdrawn from the planned contest. And so Higo has his sights set firmly on the UFC. Ultimately, he hopes to compete as a flyweight but would be happy to compete at 135 pounds, as well.

“I fight at bantamweight without a problem,” Higo said. “While I still fight in Brazil, I will remain at bantamweight. It is not worth it to drop down to flyweight here. Not only would I have to make the extra effort to lose the weight, including hiring a nutritionist, but here in Brazil flyweight fighters are actually paid less. So it’s not worth it.

“But we already established if there are any openings at flyweight, I will gladly drop to that category.”

Until then, the married father of a 2-year-old son will do his best to carve out a niche on the regional scene. It’s not an easy task, but it’s one he undergoes happily. And if the UFC finds themselves in need of another fighter, Higo vows to perform more valiantly than the man who leapfrogged him just one month ago.

“Only people who know me personally understand the struggles I’ve faced to make it this far,” Higo said. “In that sense, I already feel like a champion. People haven’t seen a fraction of what I’m capable of. God willing, I’ll be able to show my work.”

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